Homenewsitems French Minister of Justice Belloubet to EF: -Debate on eventual New BioEthical Rules from 2018 ?

French Minister of Justice Belloubet to EF: -Debate on eventual New BioEthical Rules from 2018 ?

Written by ACM

Tuesday, 31 October 2017

*Strasbourg/ECHR/Angelo Marcopolo/- It's from 2018 that should Start Debates on key BioEthical Issues, including in France, that President Macron Highlighted at the Conclusion of his Speech at the ECHR, earlier Today, (Promissing to Exclude "Brutality", and that People's "Conscience" will Not be "Silenced"), but Concrete Details still appear to remain quite floue, at least for the moment, as it results mainly from the Reply given given to "Eurofora" b the New French Miister of Justice, Nicole Belloubet (See Infra), in Strasbourg's "Palais des Droits de l'homme".

--------------------

(Macron, in fine, turned ECHR's attention towards BioEthics)

--------------

- "Eurofora" had raised a Question to the Minister, during a Press-point with Journalists organized at the ECHR, just After French President Emmanuel Macron's long Speech there, Earler Today, (Comp. also, f.ex.: ...), about what he had Named (after Victor Hugo) as "more Promised Lands, than Conquered Plots", such as in "BioEthics", "Big Data", "Enhanced Man", etc, where, after "Essential Debates", particularly on "New Technologies", Human Rights would have to be Defended anew by fixing asap adequate Legal Rules, as he Highlighted in Conclusion.

- Macron promised Today, in front of the ECHR, that "None of these Debates will ever occur with Brutality", "Neither Political Motivations would ever Silence the Conscience" of People, who will have to Deal with such "Innovations, at the Heart of our Society".

(President Raimondi + ECHR's PressRoom)

-------------------------

Because, "while France is Not Afraid of Scientific Innovations", at the same time, "it's Committed to ensure that Equality will be Respected, as well as the Fundamental Rights", in front of such "Issues of the Future", where "Europe will have to Fight", "in an "Extra-Territorial World, when even Humanity itself is on the Verge of being Transformed", (f.ex. in cases concerning "Surrogate Mothers", and/or "Children Born out of" our Country's Natural Procreations, etc., as ECHR's current President, Raimondi, had evoked before), "in order to Transmit Intact to the Next Generations" those basic Human "Rights that we must Always Adapt and ReVive", as he said in Conclusion.

(Macron walked his way from COE's HQ to the ECHR)

--------------------

- "At which Time-Horizon ?", specifically asked "Eurofora", on such kind of issues, the New French Minister of Justice.

- "As far as France is concerned, we have a Work which is done (in this area) by the National Committee on Ethics", Nicole Belloubet observed from the outset, in Reply.

- So, "a Debate is due to take place on these (BioEthical) Issues, and especially a Parliamentary Debate", she added.

- In particular, "Without any Doubt, there is a Reflexion which would Start during the Vote of the (New) Law on BioEthics", Minister Belloulet explained.

- And this is expected "in One Year", i.e. during 2018, she Replied in concreto to the above-mentioned "Eurofora"'s Question.

Without making it, however, Crystal Clear yet, whether all that will include also a Citizens' open and public Debate, and in which practical Conditions, Neither if the Entire Process might, or not, extend further on 2019, if necessary.

- According to the Latest relevant Law, (that of 2011, when France also Ratified COE's PanEuropean "Oviedo" Convention on Human Rights and Bio-Medicine), that French Committee on Ethics in Life and Health Sciences, was Obliged to Organize "a Public Debate" Before "Any Project of Reform" on its core Issues.

- But this was Limited Only "in the Form of <<Etats Généraux>>", i.e. through the Intermediary of a "Selection" of certain "Citizens" Only, supposed to "Represent" themselves the whole "Society, in its Diversity", who are, moreover, "Trained" by some "Experts" appointed by the Public Authorities, and Simply "Edit an Opinion and Recommendations", which are Merely made "Public" at the End...

>>> On the Contrary, even the National Committee's own "Debates", and any other Preparatory Work, Before Final Decisions on BioEthics, are held ...Only Behind Closed Doors !

However, around 2011, the French Authorities had Also Organized a real previous Public Debate on the latest BioEthical Issues at Stake, Open to All interested Citizens, which used the Modern Internet Technologies in the form of a Web "Forum" accessible to all involved, (almost as "Eurofora"s Project had already Suggested Earlier)...

=> That Move had managed to Attract a great Number of active Citizens, who Published various, more or less Critical Views in many Thousands of Pages, all Transparent, Readable and Answerable at the Web, whjere they were classified according to the Main Issues at stake.

But certain Regretable Confusions (mainly by a few Intermediaries) on the Precise Date of Closure of that Public Consultaton in that Web Forum on BioEthics, had unfortunately pushed some to Miss that Rendez-vous...

-------------------------------------

- CoE's PanEuropean "Oviedo" Convention on Human Rights and Bio-Medicine, (applicable also in France), asks, under the Heading "Public Debate" (Article 28), for all "the Fundamental Questions raised by the Developments of Biology and Medicine", to be "the subject of :

+ According to its "Explanatory Report", CoE's "Oviedo" Convention, even if it gives a Large Margin of Discretionary Appreciation to States on how exactly to organize such events, nevertheless, it also "Prompts ... to create Greater Public Awareness of the fundamental Questions raised by the Application of Biology and Medicine", as well as it stresses that "Society's Views must be Ascertained ...with Regard to Problems concerning its members as a whole".

I.e. something which, apparently, includes Prior Information of concerned Citizens, as well as to Collect and Take into Account their main Observations : Elements which could serve as a Legal Basis also for an eventual Judicial Control on the Way that States use their Discretionary Powers, in order to avoid eventual Abuse.

----------------------------

In France, the "National Committee on Ethics for Life and Health Sciences" is a prestigious Consultatif body, initially Created by former Long-Time President Francois Mitterand (Socialist), back on 1983, precisely on a core BioEthical Issue : I.e. just after the 1st Birth artificically obtained by "In Vitro Fertilisation" ("IVF") in the country on 1982...

Most Facts clearly indicate that, in real Practice, each one of its successive Presidents more or less "Coincided" with a New ... political President of the Republic : F.ex. Mitterand (Socialist) with Prof. Jean Bernard (1983 - 1993), while his successor, Jean-Paul Changeux (1993_1998) partly coincides with a Transition towards the Beginning of Center-Right's Jacques Chirac (1995-2007). The latter was notoriously obliged to a "CoHabitation" with Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin between 1995-2001, but, even if he was Re-Elected for 2002 - 2007, nevertheless, Prof. Didier Sicard remained at the Head of that Ethics Committee, (probably chosen by the previous Cohabitation). So that it seems that it was Only Prof. Alain Grimfeld (2008-2012) who has been Freely Elected by the Right side of the Political Spectrum, during Nicolas Sarkozy's presidency (2007-2012). But Socialist Francois Hollande (2012-2017) obviously chose Prof. Chose Jean-Claude Ameisen (2012-2016), and, Curiously, even his Successor, Prof. Jean-François Delfraissy (2016 - ?), whose mandate exceptionally Extends deep inside Emmanuel Macron's New Presidency (2017-2022)...

---------------------------

Nicole Belloubet made it clear, indirectly but surely, that she was speaking to "Eurofora" Today for what might happen in the foreseeable Future in France itself.

But, recently, CoE's BioEthical Committee's President, Dr. Beatrice Ioan from Romania, confirmed to "Eurofora" her intention to present, by a Coincidence also on 2018, an agreed full "Action Plan" Draft on how to Regulate crucial New Challenges faced by Human Rights in front of Fast-Evolving New Bio-Medical Technologies, at the PanEuropean level of all CoE's 47 Member States and perhaps beyond, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coebioethicsactionplananddebatesonnewtech.html).

And it's also true that Macron himself evoked, Earlier Today, in his Speech at the ECHR, rather a series of Europe-Wide Dimension Issues, including, particularly, on "BioEthics", on which Strasbourg's Organisation might, eventually, conclude its collective Decision-making process by its Committee of Ministers somewhere near its forthcoming Presidency by France on 2019, (Comp.: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coesgandnewfrenchpresidentonrussia.html ).

However, Macron spoke about "Promised Lands", as he described the Issues to which he refered, instead of speaking about "New Rules", even on Classical or simply Older Issues.Meanwhile, at an Exceptionally Important PanEuropean/International Conference on BioEthics, Last Week in Strasbourg, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coebioethicsactionplananddebatesonnewtech.html), the Experienced President of CoE's PanEuropean Inter-Governemental Committee on Human Rights, Brigitte Konz, advised to be Carefull :

The New French Minister of Justice is a fully-fledged Legal University Expert in general Public Law, who has served since 2013 also to the Country's supreme Court : the "Constitutional Council", competent even to judge Complaints for alleged Violation of the PanEuropean Convention of Human Rights, before they might, eventually, arrive at the ECHR in Strasbourg.

While also a former Socialist politician, mainly at Regional level, (including on Education, Unversities, etc), on the National level, Nicole Belloubet is widely considered to be personally close to the several times former Top Minister (of Culture, Education, etc), Jack Lang, an atypical Socialist, initially PhD Candidate in Public Law with the Same Director as "Eurofora"s co-Founder : Experienced former Dean of Strasbourg's University, Professor Jean Waline, (Son of Historic Legal Scientist Marcel Waline), and former President of the International Institute for Human Rights "René Cassin", currently Author of regular New Editions of the "Classic" and Popular (ex-"Rivero") Manual on "Administrative Law", estimated to be one of the Best in France. After having made various Press Statements as Minister to "Eurofora"s co-Founder in the Past, Lang joined on 2007 a National "Committee on Institutions' Modernisation" which proposes part of Reforms adopted under former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who appointed him later as Envoy to Cuba and North Korea on 2009, becoming also UNO's International Law Expert against Piracy on 2010. He is Now, since his nomination by former French President Francois Hollande on 2013, President of the prestigious "Institute on the Arab World" in Paris, where he had Personally invited "Eurofora" on November 2015 to an Exceptional Meeting with the NOBEL Peace Prize winners from Tunisia's Civil Society NGOs, (at which we regretted to have been practically hindered to attend, inter alia, also because of a Time-lapse due to a Coincidence with an Important CoE's Conference on Risks faced by Journalists and "Freedom of Expression" organized in Strasbourg at the Same Date : Comp., among others, also, f.ex.: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/iachrcoebookandefjsgonjournalismdefinition.html + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/ifjvpresidentcoespeakeronbusinesmediaagainstjournalismincrisisera.html + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/unfreespeechrapporteurkayaonrisksofbillsonradicalism.html , etc).

Statistics

Archive

Login Form

Syndicate

Other Menu

Recent developments proved that Europe can suceed to overcome challenges by aiming at great objectives, and this is needed also in 2009, said EU chairman, French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

- "It's in the name of Great Ideas, Projects, Ambition and Ideals, that EU can overcome" challenges, stressed Sarkozy at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, in conclusion of a dense 7 months EU Chairmanship. "It's even easier for Europe to have Great projects, able to overcome national egoism, instead of limiting itself only to small projects" (unable to do alike), he observed.

- "Europe must remain Ambitious and understand that the World needs her to take Decisions". "The World needs a Strong Europe", which "thinks on its own, has convictions, its own responses, its imagination" : "A Europe which does not limit itself into following" others, (as it did in the Past, when it followed USA, f.ex. on Bosnia). On the contrary, "Europe should undertake its own responsibilities", he said, after a series of succes in stopping the War between Russia and Georgia, and organizing the 1st EuroZone's Summit in Paris, which incited the Washington DC G-20 Summit to extend similar decisions World-wide.

- "When you sweep it all under the carpet, prepare yourself for hard tomorrows", he warned. "What hinders decisions is the lack of Courage and Will, the fading away of Ideals", he stressed before EU Parliament's 2008 debate on Human Rights and Sakharov prize on Freedom of thought attributed by MEPs to Chinese cyber-dissident Hu Jia, followed by an EU - Turkey meeting on Friday.

- "I don't abandon my convictions" and "I will take initiatives" on EU level also in 2009, Sarkozy announced later. "France will not stop having convictions and taking initiatives" on Europe. + "It's an Error to wish to pass over the Heads of those who are elected in their Countries" : "It's an integrism I always fought against"', he warned. ---------------------French EU Presidency faced 4 unexpected Crisis :

- An institutional crisis, with the Irish "No" to EU Lisbon Treaty, just before it started. A geopolitical crisis, wth the threat of War between Russia and Georgia risking to throw Europe back to Cold-war divisions, on August. A World-wide Financial and Economic crisis, arriving at a bad moment before crucial 2009 EU elections. And even a Strasbourg's mini-crisis, with EU Parliament's roof curiously falling down, from unknown reasons, in a brand new building on August, provoking an unprecedented transfert of the 2 September Plenary Sessions...

But it wasn't enough to stop Sarkozy ! On the contrary, it stimulated him... ---------------------------------------

- "The better way to deal with the recent problems of EU institutions (as the "3 NO" by France, the Netherlands and Ireland) is to take them as a "Test" in order to find solutions closer to Citizens' concerns", said later in Strasbourg Sarkozy's new choice as Ministe for EU affairs, Bruno Le Maire.

- On the Institutional front, Sarkozy gave Time to the Irish to think about it, and stroke on December a deal including a New Referendum after the June 2009 EU Elections, in exchange of a promise to keep the rule of "one EU Commissioner for each EU Member Country", and some opt-outs on Defence and Fiscal EU policies, Abortion, etc. If the Irish get a "Yes" Majority, then the institutional package could be completed in 2010 or 2011 on the occasion of Croatia's probable EU accession.

He was accused in Strasbourg to upgrade EU Council and downgrade EU Commision, but he replied that "strong Political initiatives by EU Council reinforce also the more technical role of EU Commission, under the political-technical leadership of its President", all 3 "working together with EU Parliament".

- But, meanwhile, Sarkozy energetically spearheaded an Historic 1st Summit of EuroZone's 15 Heads of State and Government at EU's core, exceptionally enlarged to a partial participation of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, on October 12 in Paris' Elysee palace, which started to tackle succesfully the growing world Financial crisis.

It also paved the way for its endorsement by a subsequent Brussels' 27 EU Member States' gathering, before it all come to Washington's G-20 Summit. And "Europe was united, it asked for the 1st G-20 Summit, and it will also organise the next G-20 Summit on April in London", he observed.

But a Conference with EU, Russia, African and other Developing Countries, hosted in Strasbourg shortly after Washington G-20 Summit by the French EU Presidency, took a Resolution asking to enlarge participation to Global Economic Governance. Many found, indeed, illogic and unacceptable that f.ex. states as Turkey were given a seat at G-20 level, while all African Countries, and even the African Union itself, representing the greatest Continent on Earth, were excluded...

And "Europe showed Solidarity" by mobilizing some 22 Billion credit for Hungary, 1,7 billion for Ukraine, as we do nowadays for Baltic States, etc., he added.

The move on Economy was extended on December by an EU stimulus' plan totalling some 200 billion Euros, including 5 Billions released by EU Commission for big Projects, as well as various parallel National plans for Economic revival, (fex. 26 billions in France alone). They might appear limited, compared to USA President-elect Obama's reported plan to boost the American economy with 800 billion $, but at least succeded to overcome Europe's divisions for the first time on Economic governance, opening new horizons.

- The French President stressed even harder the unique role of an active EU Council's chairmanship, when he moved swiftly and efficiently, at the beginning of August, to succesfully stop War between Russia and Georgia, at the last minute, which threatened to bring Europe back to Cold War division.

"We (EU) also wanted to avoid a situation like in Bosnia, in the Past, when EU was absent, so that our American friends took their responsibilitues, and EU only followed", despite the fact that the conflict took place in Europe. Now, it was the EU who took its responsibilities".

A roadmap towards a new PanEuropean Security policy, before which all unilateral moves to place new Missiles (from USA or Russia) would be freezed, was proposed by Sarkozy after a meeting with Russian president Medvedev, at the eve of Washington DC's G-20 Summit.

Ukraine's "European" character was stressed at a Sarkozy - Jushenko Summit, September in Paris, while EU adopted on December an "Eastern policy", in which, "I'm convinced that our (EU's) future is to find with our Neighbours the conditions for Economic Development. Peace and Security, by explaining them that.. they must respect (Human Rights') Values, and adopt behaviors different from the Past", explained Sarkozy in Strasbourg.

Meanwhile, the "Union for the Mediterranean" was created, since July's Summit if 45 Heads of State and Government in Paris, as "an organisation for a permanent Dialogue, that we need", mainly in order to tackle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, by bringing together, for the 1st time, Israelis and Arabs, where "Europe must be present, in order to avoid a frontal clash".

- "If Europe doesn't take its part for Peace in the Middle-East, nobody else will do that in our place", Sarkozy stressed. ----------------------- Meanwhile, other EU Agreements were brokered during the French EU Presidency on Immigration, (fex. common Asylum rules, etc), and Climat- Energy :

- On Climat-Energy, the 2007 German EU Presidency had fixed a triple 20% aim for 2020 (20% renewable Energies, 20% reduction of CO2 emmission, 20% energy efficience/economies), and the 2008 French EU Presidecny realized that, making the necessary compromises in order to modernize EU's industry, but without throwing some former Central-Eastern European Countries into abrupt Economic break down risking "social explosion".

- Defence-Security EU policy was mainly postponed for April 2009, since both German chancellor Merkel and French president Sarkozy want to strike a deal with the new American president Obama in Strasbourg's NATO Summit.

However, with all these 4 unexpected Crisis diverting attention to other urgencies, People wil wonder now, what happened to the famous deal proposed by freshly-elected French President Sarkozy on Turkey's controversial EU bid, back on August 2007, to continue EU - Turkey negotiations, but on the double condition that core chapters, intrinsequally linked with EU Membership, will be excluded, and that a collective Reflexion and Debate on Europe's future would start before the end of 2008.

It was meant to reply to the crucial question : What kind of Europe do we want in 10 or 20 Years from now : A large Market, or a Political Europe, with a popular identity ? In Sarkozy's thinking, presented in his 2 landmark speeches on Europe in Strasbourg, shortly before and after the 2007 Elections, (on February and July 2007), Turkey's controversial EU bid would be incompatible with the second choice.

It's true that EU Commision's Chairman, Jose Barroso, (who had notoriously declared, as former Portuguese Prime Minister, that he found "nonsense" the idea that Europe might become equal to the US), had repeatedly tried to avoid that Sarkozy's criticism on Turkey might start winning a larger audience in Europe, preferring a discrete "wismens' committee" work. And that most of the personalities later chosen in order to participate in a Committee on Europe's Future, are too much linked with Socialist parties and/or American policies, to be really critical of USA's notorious wish to impose Turkey to the EU, as Sarkozy had noted himself since March 2007..

- "It's on EU Council's presidency to take political initiatives. EU Commission has other competences", stressed Sarkozy. The "European Ideal" is to "build Europe with the States, not against them". "Ask Europeans to chose between their countries and Europe won't work. You don't choose between your two parents : We must add them together".

"France and Germany have an Historic Duty to work together, precisely because of what happened to the Past. We have to work hand by hand. We cannot be separated.It goes beyond me and Mrs Merkel today, Mr Schroeder and Mr. Chirac yesterday. It's not a choice, it's a duty to Europe and to the World". "We need Germany, as Germany needs Europe". Compromise is inevitable, here as everywhere, and each one made some steps towards eachother's positions.

But "it's true that Mrs Merkel didn't chose her Socialist partners, while I chose mine", Sarkozy said, in an indirect hint that the Socialist Minister of Finance in Germany might be a cause of minor past disagreements in Economy, which were overcome in recent negotiations.

"We (France and Germany) have particular duties in Europe", but "in a Europe of 27 Member States, it's not enough for France and Germany to agree between them.

"I always thought that Great Britain has a special role to play in Europe. ... Now, everybody "saw what it cost payed the UK for having been too exclusively open towards the US (and) Financial services. Europe needs the UK, but also the UK needs Europe" :- "We were able to face the hardest moment of the Financial crisis because the UK clearly chose Europe", stressed Sarkozy, reminding Gordon Brown's exceptional participation to the Historic 1st Heads of State/Government Summit of EuroZone, October 12 in Paris (See EuroFora's Reportage from Elysee Palace then).

- "Some look at Europe with old glasses aged 30 years ago. While we must look at her in relation to what it will be in 30 years" in the Future, Sarkozy concluded.

Polls

2009 EU Elections were won by Parties against Technocracy and Turkey's controversial EU bid, while the 1999-2004 Majority Abstention trend decelerated. What should be done in 2009-2014 ?

* My Media didn't clearly say which political positions won in 2009 EU Elections. It left it gray and confused.

* Respect People's Democratic Choices, by making EU less Technocratic, more open to EU Citizens' participation, and by rectifying 1999-2004's errors on Turkey's controversial EU bid, which blocked EU institutions in an unprecedented Crisis